how to improve FPS in F125

Learn about how to improve FPS in F125

Updated October 8, 2025

Struggling with stuttery races, input lag, or frame drops into Eau Rouge? You’re not alone. Figuring out how to improve FPS in F125 is frustrating because the game stresses both your CPU (AI, physics, grid starts) and GPU (weather, lighting, ray tracing). This guide will show you exactly what to change—step by step—so you can drive smoothly and consistently.

Quick Answer

Turn off ray tracing, use a modern upscaler (DLSS/FSR/XeSS) on Quality or Balanced, drop Shadows/Reflections/Volumetrics a tier, and cap your FPS just below your monitor’s refresh. Update GPU drivers, enable Game Mode, and use VRR (G‑SYNC/FreeSync) if available. On console, pick Performance (and 120 Hz if your TV supports it).

Why how to improve FPS in F125 Feels So Hard at First

Races are a perfect storm: 20 cars, complex physics, dense crowds, and heavy weather effects. That’s a lot of work for your CPU and GPU at the same time.
Grid starts and rain amplify the load, spiking frametimes even if your average FPS looks fine.
Small setting choices (like mirror detail or shadows) have outsized impact in F1 compared to other games.

By the end of this guide, you’ll know how to diagnose whether you’re CPU- or GPU-limited and apply the right settings to keep FPS smooth where it matters most: at race starts, in traffic, and in the wet.

What how to improve FPS in F125 Actually Means in F1 25

FPS is only half the story—smoothness comes from stable frametimes (no spikes).
Targets:
- Controller: stable 60 FPS minimum (VRR helps).
- Wheel: 90–120 FPS feels noticeably better for car placement and input latency.
Tearing vs. latency:
- V‑Sync can reduce tearing but adds latency.
- VRR (G‑SYNC/FreeSync) reduces tearing with less latency cost.
- A slight FPS cap (e.g., 118 on a 120 Hz display) improves consistency and input feel.

Before You Start (Prerequisites)

Hardware:
- PC with updated GPU drivers (NVIDIA/AMD/Intel), SSD storage, and a VRR-capable display if possible.
- PS5 or Xbox Series console users: a TV/monitor that supports 120 Hz and VRR is ideal.
Software:
- Latest F1 25 patch.
- Windows 10/11: enable Game Mode; have recent chipset drivers (PC).
In‑game menus you’ll use:
- Settings > Graphics Settings (Video/Display and Advanced).
- If available: Benchmark/Test screen to validate changes.
Optional (PC): Performance overlay (Steam FPS counter, Xbox Game Bar, or MSI Afterburner + RivaTuner) to see GPU/CPU usage and frametime.

Step-by-Step: How to Fix / Improve how to improve FPS in F125

Follow in order. Test after each major step so you know what helped.

1) Update, Reboot, and Set the Ground Rules (PC)

Update to the latest GPU driver (NVIDIA/AMD/Intel).
Windows:
- Turn on Game Mode.
- Consider Hardware-Accelerated GPU Scheduling (HAGS) on Windows 11 (test on/off; results vary by system).
- Set Power Plan to Balanced or High Performance.
NVIDIA Control Panel:
- Power management mode: Prefer maximum performance.
- Low Latency Mode: On (Reflex in-game is preferred if available).
- V‑Sync: Off here; handle sync in-game/RTSS/VRR.
AMD Adrenalin:
- Radeon Anti-Lag/Anti-Lag+ (test On).
- Surface format optimization On.
- Wait for Vertical Refresh Off (use in-game if needed).
Reboot.

Success: You have a clean baseline and known driver state.

2) Set Display Basics

In-game Display/Video:
- Display Mode: Fullscreen (not borderless) for best latency and VRR reliability.
- Resolution: Native of your monitor.
- Refresh Rate: Set to your monitor’s max (e.g., 120/144/165 Hz).
- V‑Sync: Off (use VRR + FPS cap instead).
If your monitor supports VRR:
- Enable G‑SYNC/FreeSync in the monitor OSD and GPU control panel.

Success: You see your monitor’s full refresh rate available and V‑Sync is off.

3) Choose the Right Upscaling and Frame Tech

PC upscalers (choose one your GPU supports):
- DLSS / FSR / XeSS: Start with Quality. If still GPU-bound, try Balanced.
- If available: NVIDIA DLSS Frame Generation (RTX 40‑series). Turn it on only if your base FPS is reasonably stable; it lowers perceived stutter but can increase latency. Combine with NVIDIA Reflex (On + Boost) if offered.
Anti-aliasing:
- Prefer the game’s default TAA with upscaling’s built-in sharpening.
- Increase the game’s Sharpening slider slightly if the image looks soft.

Success: Visual clarity remains good while GPU usage drops meaningfully.

4) Kill the Biggest FPS Hogs First

Turn these down one tier at a time and retest:

Ray Tracing: Off (biggest win). Re‑enable selectively later if you have headroom.
Shadows Quality/Distance: Medium or High (Ultra is costly).
Reflections/Screen Space Reflections (SSR): Medium.
Volumetric Lighting/Fog: Medium.
Weather/Particles/Rain Quality: Medium (rain is expensive).
Crowd Density/Skins: Low or Medium (CPU + GPU).
Mirror Quality/Number of Cars in Mirrors: Lower if starts or traffic stutter.
Ambient Occlusion: SSAO/Medium.
Post-Processing (Motion Blur/Depth of Field/Film Grain/Chromatic Aberration): Off or Low (quality choice; small perf effect, but improves clarity).

Relatively cheap (keep higher if VRAM allows):

Texture Quality: High is usually fine if you have VRAM headroom.
Anisotropic Filtering: 8x–16x (minimal cost on modern GPUs).

Success: A full grid in dry conditions now holds your target FPS.

5) Cap for Consistency

Use an FPS cap slightly below refresh (example: 118 FPS on 120 Hz, 141 on 144 Hz).
- Methods: in-game limiter (if available) or RTSS (RivaTuner) for very stable frametimes.
With VRR, this reduces micro‑stutter and input latency.

Success: Frametime graph becomes flatter; input feels snappier.

6) Create “Race” and “Photo” Presets

Save two graphics presets:
- Race: RT Off, practical settings for grid starts and rain.
- Photo/Hotlap: Higher visuals or RT for replays and screenshots.
Bind a quick toggle if the game allows it, or keep a note of changes.

Success: You can switch without re-tuning every time.

7) Console Settings (PS5 / Xbox Series)

In Settings > Graphics:
- Choose Performance Mode for higher FPS.
- If your TV supports it, enable 120 Hz in console system settings and use the game’s 120 Hz Performance option (if available).
- Turn on VRR in console settings and TV if supported.
Quality toggles (if present): keep Ray Tracing Off for consistency.
Close background apps and recorders to avoid spikes.

Success: Races hold a steady 60/120 FPS with minimal tearing.

8) Test in Real Stress

Dry test: Time Trial on a mid-demand track (e.g., Barcelona) to dial in baseline.
Stress test: Full grid start + heavy traffic; try a wet session at a night or city circuit.
Adjust Crowd/Mirrors/Weather/Reflections first if starts still dip.

Success: Starts and wet conditions no longer tank your FPS.

Common Mistakes and Myths About how to improve FPS in F125

“Lowering resolution always fixes it.” Not if you’re CPU‑bound (grid starts, AI). Use CPU‑lighter settings: Crowd, Shadows, Mirrors, Particles.
“Just turn everything to Ultra if you have a strong GPU.” F1’s heavy hitters punish even high‑end cards, especially in rain and traffic.
“V‑Sync is good enough.” It adds latency. Prefer VRR + FPS cap for racing.
“Frame Generation fixes everything.” It improves perceived smoothness but can add input latency. Use with Reflex and a strong base FPS.
“Textures cause FPS drops.” Usually they stress VRAM. Only drop them if you’re exceeding VRAM and getting stutter.

Troubleshooting and “What If It Still Feels Wrong?”

Stutter after updates or driver changes:
- Clear the game’s shader cache (if option exists) or let the game rebuild it by running a few laps.
- In GPU software, clear shader cache and reboot.
Input lag feels high:
- Disable V‑Sync, enable VRR, set an FPS cap just below refresh.
- Turn on NVIDIA Reflex (or AMD Anti‑Lag) if available.
FPS fine in Time Trial, bad in races:
- You’re likely CPU‑limited in traffic. Lower Crowds, Shadows distance, Cars in mirrors, and Particles.
Sudden big drops with rain/night:
- Lower Reflections/SSR, Volumetrics, and Rain/Particles. Consider stepping up upscaler from Quality to Balanced.
VRAM-related stutter (PC):
- If VRAM usage is at/over your card’s capacity, set Textures one tier lower and reduce Resolution Scale a touch (or use upscaler).
Thermal throttling (laptops/desktops):
- Check temperatures; ensure fans are clear; use a cooling pad for laptops; set the system to use the discrete GPU.
Conflicts and overlays:
- Disable extra overlays (EA App, Discord, GeForce Experience, Xbox Game Bar recording, browser overlays). Keep just one FPS overlay.
Corrupt files:
- Verify/repair game files. If needed, perform a clean GPU driver install.

Note: If changes don’t seem to apply, make sure you actually saved your graphics preset before leaving the menu.

Pro Tips Once You’re Comfortable

Use two caps: a lower “race cap” for absolute solidity and a higher cap for solo hotlaps.
Wet‑weather preset: keep a separate preset with lower Reflections/Volumetrics/Particles for rain weekends.
Sharpening: a small sharpening bump can let you run a stronger upscaler mode without losing clarity.
Per‑track tuning: street circuits at night (or with rain) often need one notch lower on reflections/volumetrics than daytime tracks.
System-level tweaks (advanced users): ensure Resizable BAR/SAM is enabled if your platform supports it.

How to Know It’s Working (Definition of Done)

Run this checklist:

A full grid start in Career/My Team holds your target FPS with minimal spikes.
Wet running at a demanding track remains smooth.
Input latency feels consistent; steering corrections don’t “lag behind.”
Frametime graph looks flat; no big sawtooth patterns during camera changes or in traffic.
GPU usage is high when solo (GPU‑bound), and reasonable dips in traffic (CPU‑bound) without massive drops in FPS.

If you can complete a 5‑lap race start to finish with no distracting stutters, you’ve nailed it.

Now that your how to improve FPS in F125 is dialed in, reduce input delay further with our guide to F125 low‑latency settings (controller and wheel).
Want even smoother car control? Check our F125 wheel force feedback setup guide.
Ready to go faster? Read our F125 braking technique and trail‑braking guide next.